Time Marches on
by DarkAngel19881
Summary: I never thought something like this would ever happen to our family. Never even thought that something like this could touch our family.
1. Chapter 1

Time Marches on

Chapter 1

I never thought something this would ever happen to our family, never even thought it could touch our family. Now I know just how wrong I was, to even think that. I just wish that there could have been something I could have done to change the outcome. I never knew how helpless a situation could make you feel until I endured one that I didn't know how to handle. I always thought that the worst thing that could happen to us was losing our parents unexpectedly. Boy was I wrong things could always get worse. None of it was because of we lived on the wrong side of the tracks, this had nothing to do with social or economic situations, though I suppose someone on the right side of the tracks could have been able to prolong the inevitable, unlike those of us who had to struggle to make ends meet. However, there was no guarantee that the situation wouldn't have ended the same no matter which side of the tracks you were from. I would have given my own life to change the ending but I couldn't and it only ended up making me feel more hopeless and useless. It wasn't a feeling that I liked very much. No one liked having their power slowly stripped away from them, leaving them weak and unsure of themselves. Why fate had thought that we could handle this on top of everything else no one knew. Maybe fate just wanted to make things harder for us, to somehow make us stronger. I happened to think this was utter bullshit how could watching your loved ones suffer make them stronger? The answer to that question was anyone's guess. I certainly didn't have the answer. It certainly didn't make me stronger by watching a kid struggle to hang on to a life that didn't want him anymore. It didn't make me stronger to watch him fight for his last breath of air. The kid hadn't wanted to leave his family, he was so young had so much to life for. But fate was a heartless bitch, taking him away from those that loved him more than life itself. Fate didn't care that it drained the family of everything, fate wouldn't be satisfied until this family was laid low. Yes, fate was a cruel bitch but nothing could be done. Sooner or late fate would return to take the remaining two not caring about the friendships wrecked, and the damage left behind. Fate didn't care about the pain and anguish it left in its path.

It was a shame that life couldn't be made to follow the orders of the person living it. Though taking away all unpredictability would lead to a boring a dull life, without unpredictability they might as well turn themselves into zombies. Without unpredictability there would be no pain, nothing would ever hurt emotionally anyways, but without unpredictability there would be no joy or laughter pain no one could really live, without pain there could be no joy. Yes, it sucks having to go through something that really hurts. Eventually though pain goes away and joy and happiness takes its place filling the place that pain once lived. No one wants to deal with situations that hurt but they do make you grow. You learn how to deal and maybe next time it won't hurt as much.

Even standing at the foot of a freshly dug grave, agony threatening to break me. I wonder if it wouldn't be better off to be unfeeling and cold, like a certain late friend had been. The truth of that though my little brother wouldn't have wanted me to be like that. He would want me to live to the fullest, to enjoy every moment that I could, to feel every inch of the pain that his loss brought. By facing it you learn to live without it, eventually fate will bring you joy again, but first you have to go through the storm. Nothing hurts more than losing someone as young as my little brother. He had suffered tremendously before life finally allowed him to be free from the pain. That's why even as I stand there at his grave with tears in my eyes. I knew that I wouldn't bring him back because he had suffered through so much in life and he deserved to be free from that. So while my heart was hurting because he wasn't with us any longer, I was could be glad that his suffering was over. When one suffered as much as he had you only wanted the pain to end for them. You didn't care about the little brother shaped hole that would be left in your life, you just wanted them to be free and happy once again. You know also that no matter where he went, you carry him close to you in your heart and your memories, nothing would ever be able to erase him. Those memories would be what carry you through the really difficult moments of missing them.

For a while you might think that you can't go through this, it's just too difficult. But when you see a sunset you can almost see your little brother sitting on the back porch, a lit cigarette perched between two fingers as he stares out at the sunset. Moments like these hurt but they also bring about a small amount of healing. That brother shaped hole in your heart gets just a little bit smaller.

As days go by when you think of him, it doesn't hurt as much and then eventually when you think of him, it only brings quiet joy. The tears that you have shed to get to this point are a distant memory, a brief shadow that blocks the sunlight. When you can finally look back on his memory with a smile instead of tears, you know you are finally back on track to living the way he would have wanted you to.

 **TBC? Anyone want to know what happened?**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

How did we get here? One minute we are slowly putting our lives back together after the deaths of our friends. The next minute we find ourselves sitting at the doctor's office because our little brother had broken his leg and the doctors had found something abnormal in the x-ray. I had thought it weird that the doctor had asked about how Ponyboy had been feeling prior to him breaking his leg. Little did we know the reason behind his asking.

Looking back now, I suppose I had known that something was wrong. Legs didn't break just by stepping off the porch. If I had paid a little more attention maybe I would have noticed how much Pony had been limping around the house. I might have noticed the weight he had been losing and the dark circles under his eyes. I didn't think anything about any of those things, just thought it was the stress of losing two friends in one night.

Turns out it wasn't stress making Pony sick, it was something much, much worse. Something that neither Darry nor I could save him from. It was something that destroyed lives whether you were a grease or a soc.

Still waiting in the doctors office my heart was beating in time with the clock. I had tried to keep my fear at bay because Pony needed his brother's to be strong for him. Even as the doctor entered the room, carrying the results of all the testing that had been done, and unknowingly to us, the news that would change, not just Ponyboy's life but mine and Darry's as well.

The doctor's footsteps echoed loudly across the floor, breaking the silence that previously only the ticking clock had broken through.

My chest drew in a deep breath and I find myself holding it, while the doctor sits down at his desk. My heart pounds faster, and I can practically hear the blood rushing in my ears. I know that if I was this scared already, Ponyboy had to be terrified. I wanted to be able to comfort him but I wasn't sure how.

Seconds turn into minutes as I slowly release my breath. I couldn't let my panic take over, not when we didn't even know what was going on. Reaching over, I place my hand on Ponyboy's shoulder, reminding him that he wasn't alone.

"I'm afraid I have bad news." The doctors words break through the sound of rushing blood. I really wanted to find somewhere to bury my head because I knew I wasn't going to like the words that would come from his mouth. Thinking back now, I wished that I could have changed things. I would have changed things for Ponyboy. If I could have, I would have made it to where Ponyboy didn't have to go through so much pain.

"I'm afraid Ponyboy has Osteosarcoma" the doctors words infiltrate my thoughts and I find myself tuning back into the conversation in front of me.

"What is that?" Ponyboy's weak voice fills the air.

"Bone cancer" the doctor replied "that's why your leg broke so easily. The cancer is eating away at the bones in your leg. If you don't do anything the cancer will spread." I blink at the doctor wondering if the man was lying. He had to be lying, Ponyboy couldn't be sick. He was too young, had far too much to live for. I knew that thinking that wasn't really logical because anyone could get cancer. It didn't discriminate based on age, skin color or even whether you were a soc or grease.

"What does that mean for Ponyboy?" I hear myself ask and it's like I am having an out of body experience because I sound far away.

"It means Ponyboy is going to have to fight" The doctor replied "but no matter how hard you fight it might not be hard enough and you could still die." at that I squeeze my eyes shut. I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want to believe that Pony could have something that could kill him.

Hearing a squeak, I open my eyes and look at Ponyboy. My little brother was trembling so hard it was a miracle that you couldn't hear his teeth clacking together. I reached out and take his hand, wishing that I could be the one to take Pony's place.

"You're lying" Ponyboy spoke softly after several seconds or silence. "why aren't you telling me the truth?"

"Pony." Darry said softly but Ponyboy ignored him and pulled his hand out of mine. I look over at Darry, his face is pale and he looks as stunned as I felt. Ponyboy's actions were coming off as anger, but I knew deep down that Pony was just scared, probably even terrified.

"What can be done as far as treatment goes?" Darry asked once Ponyboy had settled down.

"Chemotherapy which is a mixture of drugs that fight the cancer." The doctor replied. "Although I will tell you that the best change is to go on and remove the leg so that the cancer doesn't spread." I don't think I had ever felt as sick to my stomach as I did in that moment.

"You can't do that" I protest, feeling like someone needed to stand up for Ponyboy.

"I'm afraid that it's necessary." the doctor said "if we can keep the cancer from spreading we might actually stand a chance at beating it." I close my eyes and I inhaled slowly before exhaling. Ponyboy didn't need for me to freak out on him, he needed me to be strong for him and to help him get through this. Opening my eyes, I swallow the fear that's trying to take over. Leaning over, I grab Pony and pull him towards me. I can see from the look in his green eyes that he is about to break. I didn't want him to break down in front of the doctor. I knew that he wouldn't want to either.

"When does Pony need to start the treatment?" I barely hear Darry ask over the sound of my beating heart. I hold Ponyboy closer, wishing that this nightmare could be over, better yet I wished it had never even started.

"As soon as possible." Dr. Andrews replied "we don't wan the cancer to go untreated for too long."

"What will the treatments be like?" Ponyboy asked weakly, slowly pulling away.

"I'm afraid it's not going to be pleasant" Dr. Andrews said with a sympathetic look in his eyes. "the treatments going to be rough, you will spend many days sick, you will probably get tired of vomiting so much. You'll be tired and want to sleep all the time, and you will most definitely lose your hair, but considering what you stand to lose if you don't beat cancer your hair is a small price to pay." I frown wondering why the doctor had to be so insensitive about that last one. Greasers didn't much but they did have their hair. Losing his would no doubt make Ponyboy even more miserable then he already was.

"What if I decide not to do any kind of treatment?" Ponyboy asked, leaving both Darry and I stunned.

"You would have less than a year to live." Dr. Andrews answered sounding more serious than ever. Ponyboy frowned, and I wondered what was running through his head at that moment. He couldn't really be considering not getting any kind of treatment could he?

A few minutes later Dr. Andrews left to answer a medical call. The clock on the wall once again ticking in an annoying rhythm in the silence.

"What are you thinking Ponyboy?" Darry asked "you can't refuse treatment."

"I'm scared" Ponyboy answered after several seconds "I don't want to go through this."

"We don't want you to either." Darry said "but I promise you, you won't ever be alone. Soda and I'll be with you every step of the way." I nodded when Darry looked at me. I didn't know what to say to my scared brother. Cancer wasn't something that could just go away with an arm thrown over your shoulders. Financially I wasn't even sure how his treatments would get paid for, though I wasn't about to let Ponyboy know I was thinking about that.

I hated everything about this situation especially the suffering that I knew Ponyboy would be going through. No one wants to watch their loves suffer and not be able to put a stop to it.

"I wish I could trade places with you" I mutter as I pull my trembling little brother towards me. Tears form in Ponyboy's eyes and he buries his face in my shirt. I didn't think it would be possible for my heart to heart anymore, but there in that moment, with Ponyboy sobbing in my arms, my heart felt crushed. Even as I held him I wonder how we could get through this with our sanity intact.

"I wish it had just been stress." I muttered and Darry nods before standing and kneeling beside me and Ponyboy.

"Don't you worry, Pony, me and Soda will get you through this." That moment, in that space of a few seconds really solidified our relationship as brothers. There was nothing that we wouldn't do for each other, we didn't have the answer right then but I knew that we would find them together. We would find the answers for Ponyboy. I refused to accept anything less. I refused to think of what we stood to lose if Ponyboy didn't win this fight.

"I think we should go let Two-Bit and Steve know what's going on" I suggest even though I know Ponyboy probably wouldn't be up to having company after what we had just learned. I knew we needed to start thinking about the treatments soon but right now, Ponyboy needed to get accustomed to the idea of what he would be facing, and the enormity of what he would be going through. The fact that he had cancer and would be losing his leg, just so he didn't end up losing his life. I just hoped that we could all win this fight that was approaching.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Liz


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